Joseph lemay



(No Modl.)

J. LEMAY.

, LAMP SHADE.

No. 548,373. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

I \f L Will-Leases EFL Dr AN UREW B GRIANAM, PHOYOUTHO. WA$N1NGTO N. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT JOSEPH LEMAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE M. MOORE BRONZE AND PLATE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LAM P-SHADLE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,373, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed February 21, 1895- Serial No. 539,185. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn LEMAY, a citizen of theRepu blic of France, residing at New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Shades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved lampshade of that class in which a wire frame is used in connection with a cylindrical network for stretching a suitable foundation fabric th ereon, which latter is covered with an ornamental layer of lighter fabric.

My present improvements relate to an improved method of applying the fabric to the framework and an improved shape of the foundation fabric, whereby ornamental puffs formedat the top of the shade may be raised or lowered at will for the purpose of permitting the more convenient packing and shipping of the shade and the placing of the shade in position on the lamp without subjecting the ornamental top portion of the shade to the danger of being burned when the shade is placed in position on the lamp.

I will first describe my invention with refence to the accompanying drawings, and then point out in the claims the novel features.

In said drawings, Figure I represents a perspective view of my improved lamp-shade. Fig. II is a vertical central section of the shade.

Fig. III is a detail vertical transverse section through the neck portion of the shade drawn to a larger scale. Fig. IV is a portion of the stiff lining of the ornamental puffs by which the same can be raised above or lowered below the upper edge of the neck portion. Fig. V is a detail side view of a portion of the neck portion of the shade, showing the shirringcords for retaining the covering fabric.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the supporting-frame of my improved lamp-shade, which frame is composed of upright supportin g-wires a and con nectin g-ring a at the lower ends of the same, a second connecting-ring a at the upper ends of said wires, radially-extending retaining-wires a", and a wire a which connects the outer ends of the radial wire of, as shown in Fig. II. The ring shaped wire a is made of sufficient diameter to form an annular space of considerable width around the chimney for the circulation of air. To the ring-shaped wire a is applied the cylindrical neck portion B of the shade, which is preferably made of one piece of suitable sheet metal, but which can also be made of suitable ring-shaped wires connected by suitable stays or in any approved manner, as desired. It is preferable, however, to make the ring-shaped neck B of sheet metal, as this is more sightly and can in some styles of shades be left entirely uncovered without presenting an unsightly appearance. At the upper end of the cylindrical neck portion B, I form a bead b which serves to retain the fabric and shirringcords in place when once applied, so that the fabric does not have to be sewed or attached to the cylindrical neck portion, but merely fastened thereupon by drawing up and tying the shirring-cords.

The cylindrical neck portion B is soldered to the wire frame A above the connectingring a and is, in one class of shades, covered at the outside by a lining b of stiff fabric, over which is stretched a covering-layer Z2, which is retained by shirring-strings d, that are stitched into the covering-layer l) and tied together at the ends, as shown in Figs. I

.and V.

The stiff lining b is provided with a number of semicircular upwardly-extending flaps or extensions 6 which are cut out from the same fabric and over which the covering fabric b is extended, it being gathered at the interstices between the flaps b and passed over the stiff lining and retained by the shirringcords d after the same are tied around the covering-layer b of the neck portion B. This arrangement produces a certain spring action on the stifiening-fiaps 27 so that the coveringlayer 5', which is gathered up so as to form puffs of the shape shown in Fig. I, can be moved in downward direction and retained by the springy nature of the stiff flaps b be low the upper edge of the cylindrical neck portion B or retained in raised position above the same, as shown, respectively, in dotted and in full lines in Fig. II. In either position of the puffs the stidened flaps spring naturally either into lowered or raised position, which has the advantage that a number of lamp-shades can be shipped in one box, which was not possible heretofore with this class of shades, in which each shade required a separate large paper box that took up considerable space in storing as well as in shipping the shades.

Another advantage of the ornamental folding puffs is that when they are all lowered below the upper edge of the neck portion the lamp-shade may be placed with greater facility in position on the lamp Without any danger of the puffs being burned by the flame of the burner, which is at present an objection to this class of shades. Then the puffs are to be returned into the raised position shown in Fig. 1, they are moved up one after the other, the natural spring of the interior flaps b setting them in the required position, so as to form the ornamental top portion of the shade.

In the better and more expensive styles of lamp-shades the inner surface of the cylindrical neck portion B is also covered by a lining and a covering-layer of fabric, which is stretched thereon in any approved manner and by which a very finished or more ornamental appearance is imparted to the shade.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lamp-shade, composed of a supporting wire frame, a cylindrical neck-portion above said frame, having a bead or out-turned portion at its upper edge, a lining extending over the outer surface of said portion, a coveringlayer gathered into spring-puffs at the upper ends, and shirring cords for retaining the lining and covering-layer in position on the neckportion, substantially as set forth.

2. A lamp shade, consisting of a wire sup porting-frame, a cylindrical neck-portion on said frame, alining extending over said neckportion, and'provided with flaps, a coveringfabric stretched over said lining and its flaps, and shirring-cords for retaining the lining and covering layer on the neck-portion, whereby the flaps are adapted to be lowered below or raised above the upper edge of the neck-portion, substantially as set forth.

JOSEPH LEMAY.

,Witnesses:

ERNEST JOHN BINCH, WM. A. COLEMAN. 

